Ba Shan

The redoubtable Szechuan masters behind Bar Shu & Baozi Inn are back with a third hit in the form of Ba Shan. It’s an attractive restaurant done out in teahouse style: painted black inside & out, with five dinky & dark slate-floored rooms hung with pretty lanterns & bird cages. Ba Shan’s USP is ‘xiao chi’ (small eats) from Szechuan province. Deep-fried prawns with fish-fragrant sauce is an outright winner, although xi’an-style spicy potato slivers scores highly as a culinary eye-opener. Otherwise, the kitchen delivers competent renditions of lotus leaf buns with stewed pork, prawn & water chestnut dumplings, & chicken & shiitake pot-stickers, plus noodles, soup & rice dishes. The mini plates of street food are ideal for a cheap & quick snack, but be warned that a full-blown meal will come with a much heftier price tag – & you have to endure sitting on tiny, impractical stools.